Meet the Medic Map - Co-Mapping Opportunity

I'm Benjamoose. Now as much as I'd like to write some form of lengthy introduction here, this clearly isn't the place for an "introduction" post.

Had everything gone as planned, I originally made this account with the intention of releasing functional versions of koth_medicinalpractice, seeing as this of course is the best place to release.

Unfortunately I was hard pressed for time. But, with the aid of a group of amazing modelers from the TF2 Emporium and other sites on the internet, (found thanks to my announcement video) I thought I would be able to finish the map before I had to move to Hawaii (I was living in the UK at the time for anyone not in the loop).

I managed to get it to a functional state, and compiled a couple of copies of the map at the very last minute before leaving and shoved them from my Windows Desktop onto my Macintosh laptop.

Basically put, I need another mapper. Someone who can respect the current content, but perhaps fix a few errors in the map existing in the current compiled version. If that person feels like extending areas of the map or adding things of their own, then that's of course fine too, as long as it doesn't reduce the effect of the screen accurate area's accuracy. That and I'd be interested in knowing of the idea before it takes place if possible.

The mapper would of course be credited appropriately as a partner/co-mapper etc.

Current Issues:
- Custom Particles are broken due to an incorrectly named particle manifest file (a version number mismatch)
- A single hat model from the blue spawn is showing up as an error in this latest version

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Anything else would be an element of freedom of the mapper's behalf.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for those offering to help.

P.P.S. The final map is to be called koth_drogentote and not MedicinalPractice.

Just so you're aware, usually requests like this are shot down, not saying this one will, you've clearly put a lot of time into this so far, and maybe it'd be best to show off some of the stuff you've done so far, to entice others in?

Just so you're aware, usually requests like this are shot down, not saying this one will, you've clearly put a lot of time into this so far, and maybe it'd be best to show off some of the stuff you've done so far, to entice others in?

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Good point!

I wrote this at stupid o' clock in the morning, so I was just trying to write it all out first.

I'll try and edit the first post a little to reflect the updates and such.

Edit: I have now updated the post with videos of the map and screengrabs. I've also organized a little better ever so slightly.

Wait, so is the only problem that you mispacked particles in to the second version? I can almost certainly fix that,

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Yeah it seems so.

I'm not entirely sure if I messed anything up between the two versions behind the scenes.

(Might be worth having a look at general optimization status too)

But in general that's pretty much the main problem.

The only other problem in the version that has the missing particles, is that for some reason one of the hat models in the blue spawn now shows up as an error. So either I broke that too, or Valve changed the file path or something.

So in other words:
- Particles
- Hat model path (it's one already in the game)
- Quick glance over current optimization to see if there is a way it could be further optimized to not lag everyone to crap.

I was going to release the map as long as the above three things were not an issue.

So yep, all the particles should be in a1, but no custom particles show up in a2, so there's the source for that.

If you're up for trying to fix the above three things I'd be happy to try and somehow send you those two copies.

Having all these assets is great and all but why are you including them in your alpha builds? If the map plays like arse then your assets are useless and trying to include them in every one of your alpha builds is causing you time and unnecassery trouble.

Also i hope you're not using these images for promotional use, the lack of cubemaps is a bigger eye sore than any missing detail assets would be.

Having all these assets is great and all but why are you including them in your alpha builds? If the map plays like arse then your assets are useless and trying to include them in every one of your alpha builds is causing you time and unnecassery trouble.

Also i hope you're not using these images for promotional use, the lack of cubemaps is a bigger eye sore than any missing detail assets would be.

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I don't think you're aware of the full story involving this map.

I was living in the UK when I had the desktop computer with all this content on.

Within a matter of hours I had to compile a copy, shove it onto my laptop, then go to the airport to move to Hawaii.

I now live in Hawaii and my desktop computer remains in the UK. I doubt I'll be able to get the desktop computer back any time soon due to money I simply don't have.

In other words. Packing everything into this early build was the only way I could possibly keep this map alive without seeing it be lost for months or possibly years given my financial situation as of current.

Originally, this thread contained nothing but text. In the first reply, it was advised that if I was expected to receive any interest, that I should show the map in some screenshots of it's current status.

The screenshots are not in any way promotional and were taken from full-screen screenshots of the update videos logged in the bottom of the post.

A good example of an understanding my end of what you're getting at, is that in the announcement video, the cubemaps were compiled and the video was done using TF2's replay system. However in every video of the map from then on, the cubemaps were not compiled and the videos were recorded using Fraps.

Looks awesome, but Grazr has a point. You've got all this detail and stuff, but the map itself might not play very well. I understand that this probably started off just as an attempt to recreate the area that Meet the Medic was based in, but maybe once you got the general layout done, you could have stopped there to have gameplay tests? I mean, it's too late now, you might as well go with what you have, but honestly, you shouldn't be worried about detail so much just yet. All this time you spent fretting over assets could have been spent testing and improving the layout of the map so that it would be even better once the assets all came together. Not to say that it's too late for that, it's just that two months (to the day, actually) have gone by since you posted that last video to youtube, and you could have at least put out a version for general feedback by now.

That being said, everything looks amazing. I remember seeing the concept art for the hospital and thinking "Oh man, that'll be an awesome map once it comes out". But then, I was disappointed when it was just dum ol' barnblitz. So that makes this even more awesome! And your attention to detail is endless, it seems. I applaud you, sir, and I hope that your issues are worked out in time, hopefully by one of us.

(Oh, and don't take grazr seriously on everything. He's probably just drunk. Also, I have nothing against barnblitz.)

Looks awesome, but Grazr has a point. You've got all this detail and stuff, but the map itself might not play very well. I understand that this probably started off just as an attempt to recreate the area that Meet the Medic was based in, but maybe once you got the general layout done, you could have stopped there to have gameplay tests? I mean, it's too late now, you might as well go with what you have, but honestly, you shouldn't be worried about detail so much just yet. All this time you spent fretting over assets could have been spent testing and improving the layout of the map so that it would be even better once the assets all came together. Not to say that it's too late for that, it's just that two months (to the day, actually) have gone by since you posted that last video to youtube, and you could have at least put out a version for general feedback by now.

That being said, everything looks amazing. I remember seeing the concept art for the hospital and thinking "Oh man, that'll be an awesome map once it comes out". But then, I was disappointed when it was just dum ol' barnblitz. So that makes this even more awesome! And your attention to detail is endless, it seems. I applaud you, sir, and I hope that your issues are worked out in time, hopefully by one of us.

(Oh, and don't take grazr seriously on everything. He's probably just drunk. Also, I have nothing against barnblitz.)

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I try to take everything with a pinch of salt as they say, so I'm all good with the criticism.

The thing is, I completely agree with everything said by you and he. Initially that was how things were supposed to go.

I run my own TF2 gaming community, and they were always going to be my play testers.

Unfortunately (if you read my reply to grazr) I literally had no time to get to those stages. and had to rush myself out of the house. Idealy the project would have gone very differently when it comes down to the map based stuff such as testing and so forth. But meh, that's life.

I do appreciate the compliments on attention to detail however. I find it's one of my best traits when it comes to replicating things.

If your concern was loss of content you could have sync'd it online with any number of free data hosts.

If your concern was that your laptop couldn't handle a compilation process i doubt that'd really be an issue unless it was 3+ years old and in an embarrasingly terrible condition; and even then you could have gotten any one of your seemingly numerous contributors to compile it on your behalf.

I guess i'm just kinda confused about the last part of your OP. That you want someone else to finish the map on your behalf, but for you to retain full authorship rights.

As ZPQ already pointed out this is a very experienced community of which many are already in large and very successful projects (we have many contests on at the moment); not to say that it's impossible to garner interest from some of our members (since we have many lurkers) but there have been projects in the past that have been abandoned by their original author and been passed on (sometimes multiple times) to other individuals with no expectations of more than a mention as a contributor. What you have hear, despite significant work from third party contributors, is a seemingly un-tested gameplay environment with a forced messy artpass which could have easily been illustrated with a couple concept sketches whilst you honed the gameplay. It just seems to me that most of the burden of effort in bringing the map into line as an acceptable release quality version (gameplay and aesthetically) would be placed on who ever the project goes to and for very little credit.

It's a shame you couldn't finish it yourself but that's the way it is and if you're looking to pass it on and/or work with a partner you'll have to give more credit than keeping the entire credit on you. A writer doesn't take credit for all the artistic work that occurs within a movie that visually depicts its narrative. You had an idea based off of Valve's movie-short idea which'll be taken on by someone else; you should be more relaxed about this and not worry so much about the glory.

If your concern was loss of content you could have sync'd it online with any number of free data hosts.

If your concern was that your laptop couldn't handle a compilation process i doubt that'd really be an issue unless it was 3+ years old and in an embarrasingly terrible condition; and even then you could have gotten any one of your seemingly numerous contributors to compile it on your behalf.

I guess i'm just kinda confused about the last part of your OP. That you want someone else to finish the map on your behalf, but for you to retain full authorship rights.

As ZPQ already pointed out this is a very experienced community of which many are already in large and very successful projects; not to say that it's impossible to garner interest from some of our members (since we have many lurkers) but there have been projects in the past that have been abandoned by their original author and been passed on once or maybe even twice more to other individuals with no expectations of more than a mention as a contributor. What you have hear, despite significant work from third party contributors, is a seemingly un-tested gameplay environment with a forced messy artpass which could have easily been illustrated with a couple concept sketches. It just seems to me that most of the burden of effort would be placed on who ever the project goes to and for very little credit.

It's a shame you couldn't finish it yourself but that's the way it is and if you're looking to pass it on and/or work with a partner you'll have to give more credit than keeping the entire credit on you. A writer doesn't take credit for all the artistic work that occurs within a movie as it visually demonstrates the narrative.

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I have a Macintosh. The Source SDK does not function on my laptop.

I appreciate your input, and I understand a lot of where you're coming from, but as I've said, I'm not amazingly experienced, and I'm not the worlds best mapper. I don't do sketches and at the end of the day, I'm only human, so you're right, my choices (with a million different things to sort out at the time. I was after all moving to another country) were most certainly not perfect or ideal.

I'm unfortunately not going to sit and justify why I did what I did at the end of the day, as it makes no sense to complain about something I cannot change. The situation is what it is. And after months of the project sitting and rotting, I just wanted to get something done.

I have no intention of taking full credit for everything, my post is was mainly trying to clarify that ideally if I could, I would work on the map and that I'm not simply passing the baton. If whomever mapped, outdid my work, then they would clearly receive more credit than I. Perhaps I worded things wrong there. Who knows.

The contributors were all model makers. Not anybody in any way used to Hammer.

Finally, to again clarify, the credit would be as credit should be. A co-mapper that did the same amount of work or more, would be credited appropriately. There is no issue of "glory", I just wanted said mapper to respect the work I had done/not act like the thing was all by them. In other words, exactly what you said, but about the partner.

Edit:As it stands Penguin is helping out, at he will be credited appropriately. I won't go into details such as percentages, but I would assume the title partner/co-mapper etc implies that he was just as important as I.

Your final name is stupid. Just make it something simple, easy to remember and spell. Server owners don't like things that are not easily memorable and neither do players, who in my experience, can barely keep maps apart in their heads without then worrying about the name.

Yes, I see what you're doing with the name. Yes, I like it. But it's a terrible idea.